To understand John Sharp's hesitation, one has to climb back to 1996 for he and wife Toni's initial introduction to the Olympic Games.

Sharp vividly remembers July 27th, when a blast echoed through Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, killing one person and injuring more than 100 during the Summer Games.

The couple from Etters, along with their three children, were in Atlanta enjoying the international competition. The following day, the family spent a handful of hours in the belly of an Atlanta-area mall when reports of additional bomb threats surfaced.

Those events made last week's decision to leave snowy Central Pennsylvania for kind-of-snowy Russia a difficult one. The Sharps had traveled abroad more than a dozen times, sure, but always to “friendlier” countries.

Logistical concerns aside, John Sharp read all the daily bulletins leading up the 2014 Winter Games in the coastal city of Sochi. All were asking the same question: Can Russia really protect the Games?

“The athletes have security guards, security details, and people to shuffle them around,” said Sharp, who admitted to studying all the security risks, particularly for Westerners, outside of Sochi. The couple's original itinerary had them flying into St. Petersburg for a few days of sightseeing before the 3½-hour flight south to Sochi.

“We thought maybe it's not a good decision because there's no one really watching over us,” Sharp said last Sunday.

“That started weighing on my mind. Then Johnny [Quinn] got over there and became a celebrity. All of a sudden he was everywhere, and you would like to be over there to kind of take this ride with him.”

HERE'S JOHNNY

Quinn, the Harrisburg native and member of the USA Bobsled Team, is the reason the Sharp's ultimately decided to take the leap of faith. It took some last-minute maneuvering with the airlines, but John Sharp wasn't going to let the “opportunity of a lifetime” pass him by.

View full sizeUncle John and Aunt Toni from Etters hang out with Bobsledder Johnny Quinn at the USA house in Sochi, Russia.Terri Quinn

How often do you get the opportunity to watch your nephew, a national hit after he rocked social media sites with a picture of him busting through a locked bathroom in Sochi, compete for an Olympic medal?

So the Sharps joined Quinn's parents, Toni's sister Terri and John Sr., and a small entourage on Wednesday to watch the final days of competition. Between the unusually-warm temperatures and overall friendly atmosphere, it's been one surprise after another.

“Everybody is helpful and there are plenty of volunteers, said Sharp from his hotel room Friday morning. Sharp had high praise for the accommodations at the Pansionat Yuzhny Hotel II in the Adler District of Sochi.

“We're right on the Black Sea. It's very modern looking with a little bar and little pool. We've had no issues here, none of the horror stories that we've heard about.”

Security, of course, is tight, but there are perks to being part of Johnny Quinn's eight-person entourage. Quinn arranged for his supporting cast to race through the usual grind of gathering proper photo credentials, tickets and clearance passes.

With the events scattered over two separate clusters – Coastal and Mountain – there was a lot of ground to cover. And Quinn's party got around. Wednesday, the Sharp's first day in Sochi, was spent at Olympic Park, where John Sharp couldn't help but notice the sheer volume of people.

“It always looked sparse to me, all the background shots of the Olympic village you see on TV,” Sharp said. “But there are a lot of people walking around. [Quinn] even got us into the US Olympic House, where all the athletes would hang out with family and friends. There's a large lounge area, TVs everywhere, and food constantly.”

After a brief cameo appearance alongside Matt Lauer and Al Roker on The Today Show – Terri Quinn asked if her party could wiggle behind the barricade and join the audience – the Sharps watched a few speed skating events at Adler Arena before calling it a night.

“We actually slept with the hotel windows open because it was warm,” said Sharp.

TO THE MOUNTAINS

Thursday gave John Sharp a chance to verify a story on the constant presence of Russian Military personnel. Getting to Krasnaya Polyana, or Mountain Clouster, where all the skiing and sliding events take place, takes a bit of time, and three modes of transportation.

A short bus ride transported the group to the Adler train station, where a 50-minute ride to the Roza Khutor plateau awaits.

From there it's a long gondola ride up the mountain. Visible below are large tents, strategically placed along the entire route, where Russian soldiers call home for the duration of the games.

“The whole way up the Mountain Cluster,” said Sharp. “They stay out in the woods all night, every night, protecting the perimeter. That actually makes you feel pretty good, to see them.”

Sharp also mentioned a unique security step when people are transported on busses. “They go around and tape every window and every door. They seal it. They do it every time,” said Sharp.

View full sizeThe team from the United States USA-2, with pilot Nick Cunningham, Justin Olsen, Johnny Quinn and Dallas Robinson, take a curve on their second run Saturday during the men's four-man bobsled competition at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. USA-2 finished 12th on Sunday.AP photo/Dita Alangkara

Quinn, pilot Nick Cunningham and the rest of USA-2's four-man bobsledding team had training runs on Thursday, and Sharp also got the opportunity to watch some freestyle skiing events. Quinn even pulled rank and got his gang passes on a “special” gondola ride to the Mountain Olympic Village.

The gang was planning to spent their Friday at the Coastal Olympic Park, and maybe a quick dip in the Black Sea.

“Johnny's brother, Daniel, said he didn't come this far not to go swimming,” joked Sharp. The rest of the weekend was reserved for the four-man competition and closing ceremonies.

In front of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, Steven Holcomb collected his second bronze medal, piloting USA-1. Brakeman Quinn and USA-2, nearly a second behind the leaders after two runs, eventually finished in 12th-place.